I get many questions about strength training for sprinting and it’s usually from athletes, coaches and concerned parents. Recently one such athlete asked “ I am curious as to whether gaining upper body strength would be beneficial to running faster?
In two words "Absolutely Yes!"
Everyone is potentially able to improve their upper body strength but your strength gains in your upper body are not necessarily going to be 100 percent transferable in improving your speed development.
Here is the complete question from the athlete from the website.
Athlete Question:I am curious as to whether gaining upper body strength would be beneficial to running faster?
I currently have good strength at 70kg 180kg below parallel squat & 180kg RDL. I can bench only 100kg as I don't do the exercise or really train my upper body much. Should I train my upper body a little bit more?
Gaining upper body strength is essential to improving your fitness, your overall strength and therefor it will directly and indirectly be beneficial to running faster.
Getting stronger in your upper body you will not guarantee improved speed. Begin to integrate bench, arm pulls, seated row, incline and decline bench. Adding pushups with in your warm up in small numbers as well as adding pushups into tempo days is another way to raise your upper body strength.
Incorporating strength training for sprinting has been an area of specialty for Coach Charlie Francis. I strongly recommend reading Speed Trap to fully understand his training methods. I also recommend purchasing the Weights for Speed Bundle. Reading this material will give you a comprehensive look at how to plan effective training for speed development. . You need to prioritize speed work, add lifts only if you are able to maintain high quality work. When it comes to sprint workouts everything possible needs to be done to put yourself in the best possible situation to run well every time you perform a sprint. Quality sprinting consistently needs to be your end goal to improve your sprinting.
Here are a few ideas you might think of when you begin the discussion on how to add a variety of upper body training and how that will help you towards sprinting faster.
1. Making sprinting a priority in your training, combined with lifting weights, will supplement the high intensity demands of sprinting. Weights for Speed Bundle
2. Using a medicine ball in your warm up and within your training does not only add an element of strength training to your daily routine but it is also adding an exercise that helps with mobility, core strength and coordination. Use a very light medicine ball and don’t’ be hasty moving to the next weight of medicine ball.
3. Adding upper body mobility exercises to your daily warm up like arm swings front and back help loosen the area around your shoulders and neck.
4. Practicing Power Speed Drills within your warm up and making sure you are using your arms for each drill is an important addition into your training. How you use your arms in your drills will transfer into your running. South Africa Practical Sessions Bundle
5. Stand in front of a mirror and watch your arm actions while using your arms as though you are running. Keep your shoulders relaxed and down while consistently maintaining a 45-degree angle at the elbow. Hands should be relaxed and practice holding hand in a fist with the thumbs up (don’t clench your fist tightly, tightness has a tendency to migrate into other areas which is not desirable for sprinting)
6. Weights to add into your weight lifting routine: Bench, Arm Pulls and or seated rows, upright row, incline and decline bench, pull downs and push ups. Cleans are an advanced lift which require technical advice to make the most of this exercise.
7. Practicing explosive medicine ball throws and drills allows you to both gain strength and utilize and or convert the strength you have into power for running. Examples of these throws are in GPP as well as South Africa Practical Series download.
8. Running Tempo in your off days facilitates loose muscles, muscles that are more mobile and muscles that have greater circulation which makes them easier to get stronger and also easier for you to utilize strength you currently have. A great example of a tempo workout which combines upper body strength training is the:
PUSH UP / SIT UP WORKOUT
Everyone learns to dread this workout but you will love the results.
TRY THIS PROGRESSION FIRST.
If you have been routinely doing tempo such as 2(10 x 100meters) with less than 5 minutes rest between sets you will likely have little trouble doing this workout yet there is a specificity to all training so give yourself a few weeks of doing this workout 1 or 2 per week before you will start to feel great doing it.I strongly suggest beginning this workout with a shorter distance such as 80 meters and using less than 10 pushups to begin (for woman) and less than 20 situps (for men). Initially men will have little trouble with the pushups and the woman will have little trouble with the situps. Obviously exceptions apply. A reasonable starting number is 4 to 6 pushups building to 10 over 2 week period. 10 to 12 sit ups building to 20 in a 2 week period. If this progression is too steep a more radical reduction is suggested. NON TRACK athletes may need more progressive progressions.
It's recommended that you modify warm up for tempo. If you are stiff from speed work take more time. Cooler weather like the spring and or fall may require more time. Use contrast baths before and or after tempo to jump start a warm up leading into tempo or speed workouts.
PUSH UP AND SIT UP WORKOUT
Full workout is 2 sets of 10 x 100 meters ( *tempo pace / low intensity as defined by 75 percent intensity or lower)
- Method =
- Run 100 meters and do 10 pushups
- Run back 100 meter do 20 varied sit ups ( press here to see varied sit up circuit in GPP)
- Repeat to 10 sets
- Rest is less than 5 minutes for elite athlete / if it takes you more than 5 minutes begin the progression of this workout with 1 x 6 x 100 meter of push up / sit up workout. Repeat 2 to 3 x per week for 2 or 2.5 weeks before trying 10 x 100 meters.
"Sprint your own race"
Coach Angé Coon
3 comments
So first you need to work towards performing one set. No cheating. The running is 60% and or low intensity to begin. The push ups are excellent or don’t bother and the sit ups you wish to vary. Yes, there are ways to modify to accelerate adaptation but most people seem to lack judgment when it comes to training themselves and others. ( My experience over time has taught me this). As I became an experienced athlete at the international level of competition I was easily able to perform 2 sets of 10 × 100m push up / sit up workout. Take no more than 5 minutes between each set.
I hope I’ve answered your questions.
“Sprint your own race”
warm regards,
Coach Angé Coon
Hello Ruan, When I started seriously training again for the 100mh, I could barely perform one set of 10 × 100m of tempo, mixed with 10 push ups on one end of the 100m distance, combined with 20 *varied sit-ups at the other end. ( Typically, we used grass fields when ever possible and used fields with Canadian football field end zones to mark our training distances)
( GPP video sold on the website, shows me, coach angela coon performing the varied sit ups we did tons of through out my athletic career)Sprinters need a wide variety of sit ups due to the rotational quality of sprinting.
Hello, Ange
I was just wondering, with the push-up/sit up workout, what eould the totaal meters raan be for a 100/200m sprinter? I know the general reccomendation is 2000m 2-3 times a week, so if adding the push-ups and sit-ups in the workout, should it still be 2000m for that workout? With the extra stuff (push-ups and sit ups)? Or does the volume of the runs drop down to 1000m because of the extra exercises? So that the extra exercises “make up” for the 1000m less of tempo runs? Or is it 2000m of tempo plus the push-ups and sit ups?
Hope I can hear from you soon.
Ruan